15 Irresistible Chicken Sandwiches for Picnic Season

Chicken sandwiches are the best sandwiches. Sure, a heaving deli pastrami or intricately layered Italian sub has a time and a place. But when you want something that will strike a chord with your innermost heartstrings, head for the comforts of chicken. Whether it’s a grilled breast blanketed by a layer of melting cheese or a cutlet battered and fried until crisp, each bite promises a familiar tenderness and savoriness that evokes backyard barbecues, late night eats, and picnics in the sunshine.In honor of the warmer weather, here are 15 chicken sandwiches to stuff in your feasting basket:

1. Chicken Salad Sandwich

CHOW

A great chicken salad doesn’t get by on mayonnaise alone. It also needs a bit of crunch, some tart spunkiness, and, of course, ample chunks of meat that won’t fade into the background. Luckily, this recipe hits all three marks, for a sandwich staple done right. Get our Chicken Salad Sandwich recipe.

2. Fried Chicken Biscuit Sandwiches

CHOW

Is there any right-minded carnivore who doesn’t get weak at the knees at the thought of fluffy biscuits and crispy chicken, preferably sandwiched together into a buttery stack? We certainly haven’t met them yet. Serve these at your next get together and watch everyone melt in deep-fried ecstasy. Get our Fried Chicken Biscuit Sandwiches recipe.

3. Chicken Parmesan Heros

Food & Wine

A chicken parm hero is the sort of sandwich you just have to smother yourself around. It demands that you cradle it tenderly, tilt your head to the side, and open wide as the steamy juices from within are released in a cheesy, tomato-y cavalcade. Excuse us while we, ahem, reach for some napkins. Get the recipe here.

Big honking sandwiches like these offer the best of all worlds. Not only do you get a hefty, flavorful ground chicken patty, there are plenty of crunchy, pickled veggies on top to keep things interesting. Get our Banh Mi Chicken Burger recipe.

6. Chicken Cordon Bleu-Croque Monsieur

The Kitchn

This is a food mash up that’s easy to get behind. The love child between crispy, breaded chicken cordon bleu and an oozing croque monsieur, this behemoth will satisfy any over-the-top, cheese-filled cravings you might be harboring. Get the recipe here.

7. Pulled Jerk Chicken Sandwiches

CHOW

To anyone who thinks that chicken sandwiches are categorically bland, I point out spice-packing beasts like the jerk chicken sandwich. Laced with allspice and fiery chilis, it carries a fragrance that will linger pleasantly long after this bad boy has disappeared. Don’t expect ham or baloney to get down like that. Get our Pulled Jerk Chicken Sandwiches recipe.

8. Pistachio-Crusted Chicken Tortas

Foxes Love Lemons vai Food52

This recipe features a genius little tweak: the breading on the chicken cutlets is studded with pistachios, for an extra crunchy bite. Paired with beans and a creamy avocado sauce, it’s a deliriously complex, Tex-Mex-inspired mashup of flavors and textures. Get the recipe here.

9. Chinese Roast Chicken Buns

Food Republic

And now we would like to take a break from our regularly scheduled sandwich programming to bring you these itty bitty steamed buns. Small enough to fit in the palm of your hand, yet packed full of sweet hoisin, cool cucumber, and roasted chicken, they’re a bite sized nibble set on changing the finger food game. Get the recipe here.

10. Buffalo Chicken Grilled Cheese

Foodie Crush

Step aside, bacon. In this grilled cheese, buffalo chicken brings all the meaty flavor you could possibly want or need. Get the recipe here.

11. Open-Faced Thai Peanut Chicken Sub Sandwiches

Bev Cooks

Sometimes a sandwich is simply just a novel vehicle for a recipe that would otherwise be eaten with a fork. And that’s a good thing. These open faced-subs deliver the spicy, creamy flavor peanut chicken straight to your mouth. Get the recipe here.

12. Curried Chicken Sandwich

Bon Appetit

The most common complaint about chicken sandwiches is that they tend to be dry and boring, especially when made with breast meat. That can be easily fixed, however. By soaking the meat in a brine, especially a spiced brine, you get plenty of flavor and juices. This curry-based recipe nails the technique on the head. Get the recipe here.

13. Barbecued Chicken on Garlic Toast

Martha Stewart

Every now and then, the occasion calls for an easy-going, messy kind of sandwich, the sort that falls apart a bit in your hands and begs for some finger-licking fun. Pulled barbecue chicken will satisfy all of these sauce-laden needs. Better yet, this recipe does it with luscious, garlic-rubbed bread, for an extra dose of lavishness. Get the recipe here.

14. Greek Chicken Souvlaki

The Sugar Hit

Do you like to get crazy with your sandwiches? Do you fit everything into them that you possibly can (plus the kitchen sink)? This recipe will be right up your alley: stuffed with chicken souvlaki, veggies, and cheesy fries, the only impediment to fully-loaded bliss will be getting your hands around these devils. Get the recipe here.

15. Grilled Buffalo Chicken Sliders

CHOW

This has “funday favorite” written all over it. Buffalo chicken gets plopped onto a slider roll and topped with a slaw based around it’s favorite partner in crime: blue cheese. Get our Grilled Buffalo Chicken Sliders recipe.

Miki Kawasaki is a New York City–based food writer and graduate of Boston University’s program in Gastronomy. Few things excite her more than a well-crafted sandwich or expertly spiced curry. If you ever run into her at a dinner party, make sure to hit her up for a few pieces of oddball culinary trivia.